No other love
by poppiam
Summary: When a friend of Dawn Trager, Maxine Carmichael shows up at Teller-Morrow asking Tig for help, he knows he can't refuse. Soon, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. But Tig knows he is too messed up, too damaged and that he shouldn't get involved. Could Max be the girl who will break down his defenses? Or will she only get hurt in the process? *Season 5 spoilers!*
1. Don't call him Mr Trager

******This story takes place after season 5 and is AU after that so beware if you aren't caught up with season 5 yet, there are spoilers. Enjoy!**

**Chapter I – Don't call him Mr Trager.**

Gemma spotted the girl right away. She was standing nervously in the street, scanning a piece of paper and throwing her head back and forth towards the auto-shop as if she was trying to make sure she was in the right place. Gemma took off her reading glasses, tossing them on her desk before rolling back her chair to get a better view. From this distance, the girl was pretty unremarkable. Average size, average looks. She had shapeless long hair hanging freely on her shoulders, a fringe that was two centimeters to long and kept falling on her eyes. Tick glasses ate up half her face aging her but she couldn't have been a day over twenty five. She wore large jeans that did nothing for her shape, over converse shoes, a turtle neck sweater which in itself wouldn't have been weird if the temperature outside hadn't been reaching 70 degrees and a messenger bag hanging over her shoulder. She looked so out of place. She obviously didn't have a car to service since she was on foot and she was very different from the random girls who usually ended up here. Gemma was curious as to what had brought her here.

Gemma stood up and walked to the threshold of the door. The girl spotted her right away and hurriedly made her way through the parking lot. As she approached, Gemma realised she might have misjudged her. Her hair was a dark red shade that could only be natural and achieved through complex genetics, she bore no make up and had freckles running all over her baby face, and perfectly shaped pink lips that didn't need any artifice but her most amazing feature was her eyes. She had deep ice blue eyes so bright and sparkling, they almost looked unnatural. They were the exact color you'd imagine the deep of the ocean to be on a sunny day. It was the most uncommon eye color Gemma could remember seeing. Yes, Gemma had been wrong; the girl might need a new haircut and a whole new wardrobe but she was nothing if not remarkable. She flashed Gemma a smile revealing a perfect set of white teeth. "Hi there."

Gemma raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

The girl's smile broadened making her eyes sparkles some more. "I hope so. I'm looking for Alex Trager? I went by his place and his neighbor told me I would find him here?"

"Did he now?"Tig should think about having a conversation with his neighbor. That old busybody should know better than giving information to strangers, no matter how cute they looked. "And who are you?"

The girl flicked her fringe out away from her eyes and raised her hand to Gemma "Oh, sorry. I'm Max. Maxine. I'm a friend of his daughter? Dawn?"

Gemma looked at her hand for a long moment before finally shaking it. "Gemma." It was a firm, earnest handshake. She decided to test the girl and walked back to her desk, letting Maxine to follow her.

"How is Dawn?"

The girl looked around the office and sat in a chair facing Gemma. "To be honest, I don't know. No one's seen or heard from her in weeks. But if I know Dawn, she's somewhere having the time of her life and laughing at the rest of us."

_Not quite,_ Gemma thought sadly. But either the girl was a real good actress or she had no idea about Dawn's sad demise. She studied the girl's expression a moment and couldn't find anything to indicate the girl knew about Dawn's death.

Gemma fell back into her chair and raised an inquisitive eyebrow "So why are you here? She owes you money or something?"

Max grinned. "Actually she does. But with Dawn, that's not all that uncommon. And it's not why I'm here."

"And you mind telling me _why _exactly you're here?"

The girl squirmed, just a little bit. "With all due respect Gemma, I do." She quickly continued "I'd rather speak to Mr Trager directly. No offense. It's just… a personal matter."

Gemma was perplexed by the girl. There was something so genuine about her it was rattling. The girl had this naïve girl next door vibe on her. Somehow Gemma had trouble visualizing a girl like her being friends with a girl like Dawn. "He's on a job."

Max shrugged her shoulders. "I can wait."

"He might be a few hours."

"I don't mind."

_I do_. But she knew that Jax and Tig would want her to keep an eye on the girl until they knew more about her. Gemma stood up. "Wait here. Oh and piece of advice, don't call him Mr Trager." She ordered before walking outside.

_**So this is a short first chapter to get this new story rolling. As I said in the summary, the story takes place after season 5 but is AU after that. **_

_**I hope you guys like it! Don't forget that I love all reviews so bring it on! **_


	2. You're a Mormon or something?

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites, you guys rock. Keep them coming. I had a few stories with Tig playing in mind for a while and I'm so happy I finally published this one. I hope you guys continue to like it.**_

**Chapter 2 – Don't tell me you're a Mormon or something?**

Maxine glanced at Gemma on the parking lot and saw the woman was on her cell. Most probably talking to Dawn's father. Max had to admit, she hadn't quite expected to be getting the third degree like she had, but it was something she could understand. Even though Dawn didn't talk much about her old man, she had told Max enough for her to get an idea about Alex Trager. He was an ex-marine turned mechanic and belonged to a motorcycle club here in Charming. His wife Colleen and he had divorced when Dawn was eight and her sister Fawn ten. The girls had gone to live with Colleen in Fresno and rarely saw him after that. Reading between the lines, Max had deduced that Dawn's relationship with her father was nothing if not complicated, that he hated his ex-wife and she hated him right back and that the _motorcycle club _he belonged to, "The Sons of Anarchy" weren't just a bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts. Max had also recognized Gemma from Dawn's description quote _a devilish woman with a killer body for a woman with one foot in the grave,_ unquote. Max smiled sadly at the memory. Dawn had usually been drunk and sad when she'd open up about her father and his life.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by a young man in his late twenties, early thirties who literally skipped into the office. He had a Mohawk and two tattoos on either side of his head. He gave her an engaging smile and nodded at her.

"Hi, have you seen Gemma?"

Maxine pointed her thumb in direction of the parking lot. "She had to make a phone call."

In exchange Juice pointed to the phone on the desk and frowned. "Something wrong with the landline?"

"I'm guessing it wasn't that kind of phone call."

Juice nodded. "Right." He stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment, balancing his body back and forth. "So you're a friend of Gemma?"

Maxine could hardly contain a snigger. People like Gemma didn't have friends, just people to do their bidding. The woman probably wouldn't know a friend if it came and beat her in the face with a stick. "No, I'm actually here to see Alex Trager."

A look of shocked surprise appeared on Juice's face "Tig? You don't look like the type of girls who usually look for Tig."

The bluntness of the statement got a chuckle out of her "Yeah? What does that look like?" she asked teasingly raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "Not like you."

She liked him, she decided right and then, he was funny even if she doubted he was actually trying to be. "I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment." She introduced herself for the second time that day."I'm Max. I'm a friend of his daughter, Dawn."

He took her hand vigorously "Juice."

"Cool name." she grinned.

He smiled proudly at this nickname "Shame about Dawn. I liked her. I mean, she was bat shit crazy, but I liked her."

As soon as she had heard the words out of his mouth, Max's ears started ringing and she felt nauseous. "Was?"

He looked at her crestfallen face and his eyes widened. He understood straight away he had said too much. "Oh shit! You didn't know?"

She shook her head in shock. That explained a lot. Although Dawn wasn't the most reliable person when it came to keeping in touch, she always used to send Max silly pictures of herself doing crazy thing or text telling her what she was getting up to and lately those had stopped completely. It hadn't been enough to worry Max, and now she felt terrible about it. "No I didn't."

"Didn't know what?"

They both turned around and realised Gemma was standing at the threshold of the office staring at them quizzically.

"She said she was a friend of Dawn, I thought she knew." He offered apologetically.

Gemma sighted and shook her head disapprovingly. "Did you need something Juice?"

"Just the paperwork for the repo."

Gemma bend over and took a bunch of documents from her desk and handed them over to him. "There. Now get back to work."

He threw Max an apologetic look. "Sorry again." Before he walked out of the office.

Gemma knew it had been an honest mistake, but Juice needed to learn to hold his tongue. She knew he was already in the dog house with the club. She didn't know the reasons but the fact that he had been part of the set up against Clay added to the fact that he wasn't with Jax, Tig and the others at the minute meant he was being sidelined from club business. He could get into more trouble for telling the girl more than she needed to know.

Gemma studied Max who hadn't moved an inch since Juice had left. She was in shock. But Gemma knew it wouldn't be long before the questions started. "How about a drink?"

"It's 11 am."

"And? Don't tell me you're a Mormon or something?"

" No, I just… I think I'll have a coffee if you have any. thanks.

* * *

A few minutes later, Max drinking a cup of coffee so strong it could have waken the dead, Gemma observing her as if could somehow read into her. Maxine took a sip of the steaming brew. "How did it happen?"

_She was burned to death in a pit full of bodies in front of her father._ That was the truth. But it wasn't a truth Gemma could share. They had arranged a small funeral off the books and aside from direct family and the club, no one even knew that Dawn was even dead. "Car accident a few weeks back."

"I can't believe it."

"Yeah, it's awful shit." Gemma took a pause before she trained her inquisitive eyes on the red head again and asked "Can I ask you something? You and Dawn, you weren't…involved were you?"

Max glared at the woman in disbelief. What kind of question was that? "Jesus Christ, do you always say whatever is in your mind?"

Gemma shrugged. "I try to. I find it saves me time."

"No, Dawn and I weren't _involved."_ Max answered pointedly. "She very much liked men and FYI, so do I."

Gemma raised a hand to appease her. "No need to get you panties in a bunch sweetheart. I was just asking."

She slugged back into her chair and opened her drawer taking out a joint. She nonchalantly lit it and took a big drag.

Max cackled. "You always smoke joints in your office?"

Gemma pointed two fingers to the scar between her breasts "Bad ticker." She gave as way of explanation. "Got a card and everything."

"Right."

She took a big drag out of the joint. "So how did you and Dawn meet?"

The red head pursed her lips as she was brought back to the reality of her friends death. "High school."

"You two seemed close."

Max let her thoughts drift back to the first conversation she ever had with Dawn Trager.

_Maxine had just been emancipated and transferred to Norwood High School in Fresno, hoping for a new start. And of course, it had started horribly wrong. Her car had broken down, she had to walk all the way in and of course, it had started raining. So there she was soaked and late trying to dry off with the hand dryer in the girl's bathroom, when Dawn had walked in. She was wearing a plaid shirt tied above her belly showing off her flat stomach and her latest piercing, short denim jeans that barely hid…anything and had a huge duffle bag hanging from her Her face was hidden below thick layers of make up, Dawn had clearly gone for shock value there but Max could tell it was wasted on her. She was beautiful and the artifice was just hindering her looks. Her black jet hair was a mess of pink streaks, braids and yes, feathers. She smacked her chewing gum and flashed Max a huge smile. "Shit, what happened to you, girl?"_

"_It's pouring out."_

"_And you thought it was a good time to take a stroll?"_

_Max couldn't suppress a smile. The girl was engaging. "I'm Max."_

"_Dawn Trager, welcome to my own personal hell."_

"_That good, uh?"_

"_It's just like any other high school except the people are even more lame."_

_Max watched Dawn forage through her bag and come out with a grey sweater. She handed it over to Max. "There, it's ugly as shit, but at least it's dry." Seeing Max's hesitates he insisted. "Don't worry, it's clean."_

_Once again, Max felt a smile creep up on her face and took the sweater "Thanks."_

She took a deep breath and smiled sadly at Gemma. "Yes, we were."

Gemma was about to ask more questions but the familiar roar of motorcycles entering the parking lot stopped her.

_**In the next chapter, Max and Tig finally meet and we find out more about what is bringing her into our bikers lives.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to click below to review **_


	3. It don't bite

**Thanks so much for the favs, follows and reviews, you guys really make my day! As always, read and review!**

**Chapter III – It don't bite.**

Tig hopped off his bike and removed his helmet as Gemma advanced towards him, an unreadable expression on her face. He knew she was worried about him. They all were. They kept watching him as if he was going to lose it and fall apart at any moment. After all, he was the poor bastard who'd watched his kid be burned alive in front of his eyes, right? Tig had thought killing Damon Pope would help deal with the pain of it all, but he actually felt worse. As long as her death wasn't avenged, he had a goal, something to look for, something to wake up for but recently he had just felt empty. The need for revenge had disappeared and had been replaced with the constant guilt of his daughter's death on his shoulders. He had wanted so much to get closer to her and her sister, be a part of their lives. But he hadn't known how and had never taken the time to try and figure out and now it was too late. He had one dead daughter and one who didn't want anything to do with him ever again. She had been very clear with him on that. So when Gemma had called to tell him a friend of Dawn was here to see him, he had very surprised to say the least. "Where is she?" he asked his old friend.

"In the office." She looked from Jax to Tig. "She knows about Dawn."

Jax's jaw tightened. "I thought I told you to wait for us." He sneered through clenched teeth.

"It just came out." She lied. "I told her it was a car accident. I didn't know what else to say." she paused and shifted her attention to Tig "Dawn ever tell you about her?"

He had heard Dawn mention her name in the past but his youngest daughter had never been so good at making female friends so he had always assumed it was some guys name. It had never occurred to him Dawn could be talking about a woman. "Some. I always thought she was talking about some dude."

As Gemma talked, Tig's attention was caught by the red head who had appeared at the threshold of the office. She looked… well at first he thought she looked odd. What was up with the turtleneck? _It had to be at least seventy degrees out, who wears a turtleneck in that weather?_ She kept tugging nervously on her sleeves like a child waiting to be told off. Her eyes were trained on him specifically and that made him uneasy. He saw her take a breath as if summoning her courage and walk toward them and he suddenly found himself mesmerized by her liquid eyes. There was no other way to explain it. People often commented on his own eyes, but hers were incredible, like a pool of water you wanted to get lost in. As she reached them, she flashed Tig an earnest smile as she reached them. "Hi, I'm Max."

"Tig." He pointed to his President "This is Jax."

"It's nice to meet you." She reverted her attention back to Tig and trained her hypnotizing eyes on him. "I'm very sorry about Dawn. She was a good friend." He could hear the sadness and compassion in her voice.

He thanked her with a pursed lip smile. "Gemma said you needed to talk to me."

"Yes. uh…is there someplace we could talk? Somewhere more private?"

Tig threw Jax a questioning glance at Jax before responding. "Sure."

Maxine turned to the man she had identified as the President. "You should probably come too."

He frowned, his face showing confusion "Okay. Tig, take Max in the clubhouse. I'll be right there." Tig opened the way and the red head followed.

Gemma turned on her heels to get back to the office when she heard her son's voice. "So it just came out, uh?"

She turned back to him and shrugged innocently. Jax knew she was most probably lying and he had a pretty good idea why but he decided to let it slide. He rummaged through his pockets, taking out a cigarette before lighting it. "Did she say anything else about why she was here?"

"Not much, just that she was a friend of Dawn and needed help." A smile crept up on her face as she remembered something. "She called him Mr Trager."

Jax tried but couldn't suppress a smile. "No shit."

"So what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we need to figure exactly who she is and what she wants." He looked towards the garage. "Hey Juice. Get over here!"

The computer wizard heard his president call him from the garage and quickly jogged over to them. "Hey, what's up, Jax?

Jax put his hand on Juice's shoulder. "I need you to find me everything you can about Maxine Carmichael." he demanded.

"Dawn's friend?"

"So she says. I want to make sure she's who she says she is."

Juice nodded eagerly. "You got it, boss."

Jax flicked his cigarette to the floor and marched towards the clubhouse.

* * *

As Maxine made her way through the parking lot with Tig, she noticed he kept avoiding to look directly at her. She wondered what that was about. When she had looked across the parking lot, she had recognized him straight away. Dawn had been the spitting image of her father. Max wasn't sure what she had been expecting but he wasn't it. He was probably in his early fifties but could have easily passed as younger. She had obviously noticed his very muscular body, the soft curly jet black hair you wanted to run your fingers into and the piercing blue eyes you just wished you could get let lost into. No doubt, Alex Trager was probably a hit amongst the ladies and he definitely intrigued her but it wasn't what drew Maxine in. There was just something else about him, something raw, magnetic, almost animal that showed in his eyes, in the way he clenched his jaw, the way he carried himself. She had felt it when he'd touched her while they shook hands, she had felt it when he had pored over her face when she was standing in the doorway earlier. _Eyeing your dead friend's outlaw bike father, Maxine? You seriously need to get laid. _

They reached the building that was facing the office and Tig opened the door and walked in holding the door for her to follow. As Maxine did, she wondered if what she was doing was really smart. After all, aside from the fact that he was her dead friend's father, she didn't really know him or if she could trust him. He must have sensed her hesitation because he finally met her eye and it was as if she could read the truth in his blue eyes. She took a step forward and found herself in some sort of bar; a couch lay to her left, a pool table was standing in the back and to her right was a fully stocked bar, towards the back 2 massive wooden doors stood beside a wall of fame where dozens of booking pictures were perfectly aligned side by side. Maxine suddenly felt four pair of eyes converge towards her as the rest of the club members who had gotten in with Jax and Tig, ogled her.

"Drink?"

She looked away from the men and reverted her attention back to Tig. "No thanks."

As they took a few more steps in the room, a white Staffordshire bull terrier came out of nowhere and made a bee line for them. Maxine watched as Tig's face literally lit up and he kneeled to welcome the animal. "Hey girl!"

But instead of jumping into his lap, the dog continued behind Tig and went straight to Maxine. She stood up resting Her paws on Maxine legs. Maxine almost lost balance but she straightened up before kneeling down and patting the terrier. "Hey you." She gazed at Tig with bright eyes and a smile that seemed to illuminate her whole face "What's her name?"

"Boyd." He replied begrudgingly. Since he had rescued Boyd from a certain death, she had been entirely devoted to him, running to him every time she heard his voice. This was the first time she had ignored him, especially for a stranger.

Maxine couldn't help a laugh. "You know she's a female right?"

Yes, he knew. But Boyd was the name of the dog he had given Dawn just before the divorce. Colleen had told him a few months later he had been ran over by a car and a brokenhearted Dawn hadn't wanted a new one after that. "Long story."

"Hey Boyd. You're a good girl. Would you like a treat?" She took out something from her pocket and brought it close to the dog's mouth. She looked up at Tig never departing from her smile and showed him what she had in her hand to reassure him "It's just a biscuit." before feeding it to the dog. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, she had the most contagious smile he had ever seen.

"You have a dog?"

"No."

Before Tig could say another word, Jax walked into the clubhouse and called out to them "Boyd replaced you already Tig?"

"She's cheating. She had dog biscuits." Tig interjected good humouredly.

Jax grinned at Maxine. "You just always carry dog biscuits with you?"

"They come in handy from time to time." She replied as she stood back up.

"Alright, let's get a drink and maybe you can tell us what you need."

A few minutes later, Maxine was sat on the couch as they all surrounded her, nursing various drinks. It felt slightly surreal being the only woman in this strange place with a group of hardcore bikers. Some might think she was insane. Jax had introduced them all to her: there was Chibs the scot, Bobby Elvis was the one who'd offered her a muffin, Happy was the bold man with eyes of steel, Jax and Tig. , Filthy Phil, the fat one with glasses was manning the bar with another man they had called Rat. The only one missing was Juice the one she'd met earlier. She hadn't seen him since Gemma had dismissed him from the office but from the tattoos on his arms, she knew he was part of the crew. They all stared intensely at her, awaiting for her to speak. She cleared her throat nervously "I have a business venture out of Modesto. It's small operation, nothing major, but it works well. Recently, some redneck hicks have been giving me trouble, trying to move on me, asking for a piece, threatening to get physical if I don't give them what they want. A couple of days ago, they put a beating on one of my employees as a warning. They ruptured his spleen. They threatened to come back in a few days to do the same to me and worse. Her eyes flicked to Tig and seemed to hesitate before continuing. "I wouldn't ask but Dawn always said that if I ever needed help, you guys were good in delicate situations.

Jax was intrigued "I have to ask, what kind of business venture we are talking about?

She felt their eyes bore into her. She held Tig's stare for a second and he nodded encouraging her to continue. she took her bag from the floor and opened it taking out a small box that almost looked like a takeaway cake box. She held it out to Jax who took it and raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"It don't bite."

She watched Jax throw a glance at his crew before opening the box. For a moment, no one spoke.

It was Chibs who broke the silence with his Scottish brogue. "Is that that what I think it is?"

"If you're asking if that's a pound of the finest weed in the state of California, then the answer is yes, it is."

**Hope you enjoyed this, don't forget to review and let me know if you did!**


	4. For Dawn

**I'm so amazed at the response this story has been getting so far, you guys are incredible. Thanks you ever so much for the reviews, favs and follows they make my day and really help with the writing process! So here comes the new chapter, it was a little harder than I thought to write but hope you like it. Also, I'm liking the frequency of publishing two chapters a week to keep this story flowing and I hope it's working for you guys too. **

**Finally to the risk of repeating myself if you haven't watched season 5 or the season premiere of season 6 yet and don't want to be spoiled don't go any further. I'm not revealing anything that isn't all over the web but better safe than sorry.**

**Chapter IV – For Dawn**

For the longest moment, no one spoke; their eyes were riveted to the cake box and its content. Maxine looked up and realised that Tig wasn't interested in the box, choosing instead to fixate his intense stare on her, the expression on his face unreadable. She found herself wishing she could decipher his expression and know what he was thinking. He hadn't said much since they had met, letting his president lead the conversation, but she knew behind his magnetic blue eyes, he was sizing her up, trying to figure her out. She broke eye contact and shifted self-consciously on her chair before breaking the silence. "My stuff is 100% domestic, Very high potency, THC is above 25%."

Something seemed to finally dawn on Jax. "That's why you carry dog biscuits."

She confirmed with a nod. "It throws away their scent. Doesn't work with highly trained dogs but it helps with the others." She paused and removed her glasses before folding and putting them back in her bag. "Also cops are 45% less likely to stop a woman if she wears glasses, especially ugly ones." She informed them with a grin.

It all made sense; the all American girl look, the big glasses that ate away half her face, the shapeless hair; Maxine was trying to avoid detection. She was intelligent, _that_ was obvious but she also seemed to have the street smarts necessary to be successful in her line of business. Jax teased "I didn't peg you as drug lord."

She couldn't help a giggle. "Hardly. My clientele is mostly connoisseurs who know their weed and want a high quality product. The ones just looking for a high? They don't come to me, they want something more... affordable, less exclusive. So I mostly cater to rich college kids. Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, a few surfers in Orange County and Santa Barbara and I have an advantageous deal with a couple of medical dispensaries. I'm no organized crime boss. "

Jax's curiosity was picked. "You haven't looked to expand?

"No, I keep it small voluntarily. I don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention south of the border, if you see what I mean.

They all knew _exactly_ what she meant. After all, they had only just managed to get rid of the Galindo cartel and their drug running operation and hoped they never had to look back. Chibs asked the next question. "How many people in your operation?"

"Three including me. My botanist Danny is currently on a hospital bed currently missing his spleen. I also have a sales representative who scouts out potential clients.

"I'm curious, how much does a business like that racks a year?" Bobby asked as the treasurer in him kicked in.

Maxine wasn't sure about sharing financial information but then she was the one who needed their help. After a slight hesitation, she replied. "Last year, we cleared about a quarter of a mill."

Bobby whistled impressed as his President took back the control of the conversation. "Buys you a comfortable life."

"Actually, I reinvested it all, purchased the lease on the land, finished the barn, paid back a few initial investors with interest.

Juice walked in at that moment holding his laptop and his eyes went straight to the box."Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're asking if that's a pound of the finest weed in the state of California, then the answer is yes, it is." Happy repeated huskily causing a few sniggers.

It was probably the most words in one sentence Juice had ever heard from the killer. "Oookay. " He turned to his president. "Jax, I have what you wanted."

Jax acknowledged him with an imperceptible nod before bringing his attention back to Maxine. "Your farm. How far is it from here?"

She shrugged. "Two hours, give or take."

"Alright. Would you give us a moment to talk?"

"Sure." Max stood bag in hand.

"You want to pack this thing?" Bobby asked his eyes full of envy.

"You guys keep it. On the house."

He raised his head towards Tig pointing his finger to her. "I like this girl." He sung before taking the cake box with him.

She watched as one by one the men solemnly made their way to the back room she had noticed earlier. As Tig stood to follow, she called out to him "Mr... Alex?"

He contained a chuckle. "Oh doll, you can call me Tig."

She had been about to call him Mr. Trager and had remembered Gemma's "advice". Still it felt inappropriate for her to call him Tig without being invited so in the end she had settled for Alex."Right." She opened her bag again and took out a small white envelope. "I think this belongs to you."

Tig accepted the envelope lightly brushing her fingers and looked into it before his eyes found hers again. She could read his confusion. "Twelve thousand plus interest and a part on last year's benefit. Dawn was one of my _investors_. I didn't get a chance to pay her back. So I guess the money is yours now"

She swore she almost felt him freeze. She watched him as his whole body tensed, his jaw set tight, blue eyes burning into her, his hand almost crushing the envelope. He was almost…scary And then as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. She saw him relax and even curl his lips in a smile albeit she could tell he was still tense. "Gotta go. You should take Boyd with you."

Before she could add another word, he was gone, sliding the envelope in his back pocket He entered the mysterious room at the back closing the door behind him.

* * *

Tig walked in the room clearly shaken before taking his place down the table. It wasn't his usual place. Not the one he had been used to for the last 10 years of his life. At the top, on the right, at the Sergeant- at- arms seat that used to belong to him now sat Happy. Tig knew this should have bothered him. It was what they all expected. From the moment, Jax had taken the gavel, He had known the power within the club had shifted and that his position within the club would never be the same. He had hated it and let Jax know it. So when Bobby had given up on his VP position, getting Chibs promoted and he had been passed over for the position of Sergeant at Arms in favor of Happy, they had all expected him to voice his disagreement, but he hadn't. After watching his baby girl dies in such horrific conditions, calling, begging for him to help as the flames engulfed her, after being betrayed by Clay his best friend, after betraying him back, he found it difficult to care about his place around the table. He was still there, despite all odds. He was there while his daughter wasn't. And that was the sad truth to it. His thoughts went back to the envelope in his back pocket and he was transported back to that day not long ago where Dawn had surprised him with a visit, the first one in two years. She had served him that story about Fawn being sick and needing money. He hadn't cared that she'd lied to him, he hadn't cared at all. He got to spend a few hours with his baby girl. He wished he had known it would be the last time he would ever see her, he wished he could have told her that despite everything, despite the divorce, the distance, despite his inability to be a normal dad, he loved her and her sister more than anything in this world. He would have died for them. He had begged Pope to kill him instead of her and he would have done it a hundred times over if it had meant she would still be alive right now. His dark thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his president's voice resonating in the Chapel.

"So Juice, what have you got?"

"Alright Maxine Carmichael, born April 1988. She's been in the system pretty much since then. Bounced from foster home to foster home, she went to a string of youth houses before settling in a foster family when she was 14. She emancipated age 16. I was also able to get her police record." He looked up at Tig before continuing. "She got arrested with Dawn about four years ago for disturbance of the peace."

Tig let out a sad chuckle "That's my girl."

"Since then she's been mostly off the radar. She pays her taxes, no arrests, not even a parking ticket. But she did post bail 3 times... for Dawn."

Jax looked toward the end of the table and met Tig's intense stare with a concern that still surprised him. His hatred for Tig Trager had been public knowledge for a long time. He was a loose cannon at the best of times and a remorseless psychopath at the worst. He was responsible for so much damage and pain that Jax would have never believed himself able to feel anything else than deep contempt for the man. But the truth was he did. He felt sorry for him. Watching your flesh and blood die in front of your eyes and have the other publicly disown you, would have broken a lot of men. And although, he knew the former sergeant at arms was a far cry from the man he had been, he was still standing. He had his brothers to keep him from falling completely apart and Jax wondered if this new "mission" could be of help. After all, the girl seemed legit and helping her out wouldn't be too difficult for them. Maybe that would help Tig process his shit with his daughter. He nodded towards the black haired man. "What do you think?"

"I want to help Jax. She was a friend of my baby girl. I owe it to Dawn, ya know? And Max she seems like a good kid, I…I trust her. " he wouldn't have been able to explain it but he had been observing Max earlier when the boys had been transfixed with the weed. They say some people carry their heart on their sleeve; that girl carried her whole persona on her face. It was in her playful bright eyes, in her earnest smile, in the way she held herself, in the thousand freckles that seemed to get animated when she spoke. He was not a trustful person. In his book, trust was something people needed to earn. And although he wouldn't be sharing secrets with her anytime soon, his gut was telling him he could. "It doesn't have to be a club thing, we've got enough shit to deal with, I can deal with it on my own."

The President's response was quick to come. "No. We do this, we do it together." he sais matter of factly gaining groans of agreement around the table "That's how this club works. Now let's vote it. Anyone in favor." Without another word, Jax turned to the man on his right. Happy turned to the former SAA, the man who place he was now occupying. "For Dawn. Ay."

Tig nodded to him gratefully and nodded another four times as one by one all the man around the table voted in favor, each repeating the same two words "For Dawn."

* * *

After walking out of the clubhouse, Maxine had made her way to the playground that sat in the middle of Teller-Morrow and sat on the swings as she watched Boyd play with her ball. Her mind kept going back to Tig. She was trying to figure out what it was about those burning blue eyes that puzzled her so much. Sure they were beautiful, deep, intense, but it wasn't just the way they looked. It was more about how much they conveyed. He had been closed to her from the moment they had met, not talking to her, leaving to his brothers the task of asking questions while he observed her like a scientist studies a new species. And when she had given him the envelope, he had been so hesitant to take it, but in that instant where his fingers closed on it and she told him about what was in it, it had been almost as if someone had cracked a door open to let her _see_ him. Love, hate, surprise, curiosity were only a few of the feelings she thought she had then detected in his stare. But mostly it was the pain she had been able to read in his eyes that had shaken her. It was raw like an open wound that had not started to heal. She had never known the love of a mother or a father and had never had any family to lose and mourn. Dawn was a friend and Maxine hurt for her but she knew it was nothing compared the man standing in front of her earlier. He must have been in excruciating pain to losing his young daughter and it saddened her to her core. She heard the door to the clubhouse open and Tig appeared scanning the parking lot for her. As soon as Boyd saw him, she ran to his lap. He played with her for a moment as Maxine continued to observe a pensive smile on her face. You could tell he loved dogs and she had to admit she hadn't imagined a biker having such a soft spot for our canine friends. He flipped his eyes to her and she felt herself blush from being caught staring. "So what's with the swings?"

He gave Boyd a last pat and came to sit in the swing next to her. " We built it for Jax's boys. They spend a lot of time here."

"That's nice."

As he watched her swing back and forth gently, her traits turned into Dawn's as he remembered being in this exact same spot talking with his little girl. Could it have been only a few months ago? He chased the memory with a shudder and took a deep breath. "Listen Max…"

"You guys are not going to help are you?" she interrupted. She had seen him struggle to find the words and deduced they had decided not to get involved in her issues.

But Tig's reaction was one of confusion as he frowned and shook his head "What? No of course we are, honey it's just... This money, I don't want it." He took out the envelope from his back pocket and held it out to her.

"Tig, this is yours. I mean, unless Dawn robbed a bank, I'm guessing she came to you for the cash."

Again, he had to force memories of that day, the last day he spent with his daughter away. He grinned sadly. "She did."

Maxine acknowledged the information in silence and despite herself she felt a smile creep up her face. "Out of curiosity what lie did she serve you? To get the cash?"

His eyes went to hers and he smiled fondly. "She said her sister was bulimic and she needed the money to get her help."

Maxine scoffed. "Now THAT is very Dawn."

A veil of sadness covered his eyes and she realised her mishap. "I'm so sorry, that was stupid, I didn't mean to…"

He reached out, putting his hand on her arm and squeezing it "Hey, Don't worry about kiddo." His hand slowly slid towards hers opening it and with his other hand before deposited the cash. "Keep the money. Re-invest it. Do what you want."

She nodded and he stood up "We should get going."

"Going where?"

"Jax wants to check out your farm before we pay a visit to these asshole giving you trouble. You okay on a bike?"

He had to suppress a smile as she looked down and nervously admitted. "I've never actually been on one."

"You're kidding?"

She shook her head with a smile.

"Oh sweetheart, we definitely need to change that". He held out his hand and she took it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He lifted her from the swing "Come on, you'll ride with me, I'll keep you safe."

_**Thanks for reading and as usual, please review !**_


	5. It's the best fun you'll ever have

**Apologies, this is a repost of the chapter as I've had a few issues with my alerts. ( am i the only one?) Anyways, Thanks again for your amazing response to this story, you guys make this worthwile!**

**Chapter V – It's the best you'll ever have with your clothes on.**

"Here put this on." he began holding out a spare helmet for her. "Now all you got to do is sit still, hold on to me and keep your feet on the peg. Let me take care of the turns, alright?"

Maxine wasn't the kind of person who scared easily. She also wasn't one of those people who had always dreamed to ride on a motorcycle. Actually, if she was completely honest, she had been perfectly happy to spend the first twenty five years of her life without ever doing so and would have been happy to keep it that way. She fretted, suddenly very nervous. "I don't know about this, Tig."

For the first time since they had met, he flashed her smile. It wasn't a forced courtesy smile, it wasn't a nervous smile. He simply grinned ear to ear, like someone who is in on a secret and you're not. It radiated through his whole face up to his eyes. "Come on sweetheart, I guarantee you it's the bet fun you'll ever have with your clothes on."

She fought hard to suppress the smile she felt creeping on her face. She took the helmet he was offering and put it on.

"You guys good?" Jax called out at them from the other side of the parking lot as Maxine remembered they had an audience in the form of seven other bikers. She glanced at them as they all sat on their bikes waiting for her to make up her mind.

She took a few apprehensive steps towards him before he scooped her hand again squeezing it lightly, his magnetic eyes fixating on hers. "You just gotta trust me, alright doll? I got you." he almost murmured answering unspoken doubts.

She swallowed hard, once again puzzled by the effect his eyes kept having on her, before nodding.

He shot her an encouraging smile. "Hop on."

She obeyed, timidly placing her hands on his hips until he closed his fingers on hers sliding her hands until she was circling his waist with her arms. She felt a blush spread over her cheeks and cringed internally, admonishing herself._ Remember you have seven bad ass bikers looking right at you, girl._ Sometimes being a red head really was no fun, especially when it came to hiding your emotions from the rest of the world. This was so unlike her, she was acting like a school girl with a damn crush and if you knew her, you knew it was completely out of character. She could only hope Tig didn't notice.

* * *

He had noticed. He couldn't remember the last time he had made someone blush, at least in a nice way, not because he had done or said something obscene. Girls around here didn't tend to be the kind to get flustered for anything. Most of them had seen or heard too much to ever be embarrassed again. It was refreshing and endearing. Maybe even…_cute?_

TIg turned back to Jax "All good man." he finally replied.

"Alright boys, let's go." The president roared.

Tig kick started his 2006 customized Harley as one by one the Sons pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street in an hierarchical order that only made sense to them. The president always rode out first, followed by his VP and Sergeant-At-Arms, then came the Treasurer and after that it was in the order you had patched in. For the next ninety minutes, they travelled at good speed choosing to stick to small roads instead of barreling down the highway which he knew Max would probably be grateful for. The weather was hot and dry and traffic was light allowing them to spread out on the road. After the initial thirty minutes where Max was holding onto him so tightly that he could practically feel her heart thumping against her chest, he had felt her relax and loosen her grip slightly, drawing a smile out of him. He remembered his first ride. He was sixteen and he had fallen in love for the first time. She had been such a beauty… all chrome with a twin cam 96 cubic inch motor and a custom T bars with high risers. When he had hopped on it, the bike had suddenly become an extension of him. As he'd throttled down the road at high speed, he remember being overwhelmed by an odd feeling of serenity, a state of calm and tranquility he had never been able to attain anywhere else but on an open road. He hadn't been trying to embarrass Max earlier, with the sexual reference; he had meant every word of it. Tig had always equaled riding a bike with a sexual encounter, one that left you tingly all over, and that first ride? It was like love with the butterflies and shit. It was scary and exhilarating and left you giddy, satisfied and begging for more.

* * *

As the area became more familiar to Max and less to them, Tig's bike made its way to the front of the convoy so she could show them the way to the farm. It was perfectly isolated away from prying eyes, nestled in a valley by the hillsides right by Yosemite National park . They negotiated the last curve as a sound of thunder roared through the valley. Columns of smoke suddenly became visible, the bright blue sky turning into a hideous grey. As one, the bikes slowed down coming to a halt.

Jax turned to Max, furrowing his eyebrows. "Is that your farm?"

Max was unable to tear her eyes away from the thick smoke. She swallowed hard, her mouth dry like a desert. She tried but couldn't formulate a response so she just nodded absently.

"Let's check it out." came the response from the president as they made their way to the farm.

A few minutes later, they hopped off in the driveway to see Max's fears confirmed. The barn had crumbled down, engulfed by the fire in front of their eyes, the smell of burning weed overpowering their nostrils. The main house, the probable source of the loud explosion that had reverberated throughout the valley a few minutes before, was still standing but burning at a steady pace. All Max could do was watch powerless as the blazing red flames leapt into the dark sky.

A thought suddenly hit her; her friend Jaycee, otherwise known as her sales representative, was meant to be spending the day in the house taking a break after a frantic week. Max gasped and made a move towards the house but Tig was in front of her, in a flash, placing his hand on her shoulder to stop her. His penetrating eyes bore into hers as he asked "What is it?"

"My friend... Jaycee, I think she's in the house." she cried out panic-stricken

"Are you sure?"

" I don't know. She said she'd be here all day, I got to go check."

Once again, he stopped her from moving further. "If she is in there, you don't want to see it, trust me. Stay here." He ordered in a voice that told her there would be no further discussion before he turning on his heels and darting towards the house before anyone could stop him.

Bobby hollered "What the hell is he doing?"

Jax took a few steps until he felt the smothering hear of the burning fire and backed off."Tig!"

They could only watch horrified and powerless as the dark haired man disappeared in the smoke as flames swept over him.

* * *

After minutes that seemed like hours, he came out coughing his lungs out from the toxic smoke.

Shaking his head in disbelief Jax let out a sigh of relief. "Jesus Christ!"

Maxine just watched as he searched for her, his eyes telling her everything she needed to know. Her hands covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. In the space of a single day, she had lost two friends, her home and her livelihood. She felt tears well up in her eyes but willed them away. There would be a time to cry, to mourn but right now wasn't it.

"We need to get out of here before the cops show up." He turned to Maxine. "Let's get you back to Charming with us, we'll figure this shit out there."

"I can't." Maxine interjected her voice quivering. "I... I have to go to the hospital. Tell Danny his girlfriend's dead."

Jax pursed his lips. He wanted his crew as far away from this place as possible but he knew the girl needed to do this. Besides, she was in shock. He doubted she'd be able to be on a motorcycle for an hour and a half without losing it. "Alright. Hap and Tig you're with me. We go to the hospital and then head back to Charming. The rest of you go home."

* * *

"I'm sorry Danny." Max said her voice barely above a whisper as she looked at her hands.

"Was it the same shitheads who did this to me?"

"I don't know. I think so."

They had gotten to the hospital fifteen minutes before and Tig had watched her try to find the right words to tell her friend what had happened. In the end, she had just come out with it. It brought him back to a similar conversation he had to have barely a few weeks ago with his daughter Fawn, to let her know her twin sister was dead. Unlike Max, he hadn't been able to find the words, his eldest daughter reading the truth in his grief stricken eyes before lashing out at him. Tig's eyes narrowed on the long haired man lying in the hospital. He was a sad sight. His face was twenty different shades of purple, his right leg was in a cast and elevated with a chain wire hanging from a crane at the bottom of the bed. Silent tears were trailing down the man's face echoing the tears Tig had cried over his daughter's body. This whole situation was hitting dangeroulsy close to home for him.

"This is my fault."

"Danny, no…"

"I introduced her to you. I got her involved in this shit. We should have given them what they wanted. If we had, she'd still be alive."

Tig knew all about survivor's guilt. He had spent many nights in the last few weeks playing and replaying all the events that had led to Dawn's tragic death, wondering if this was some sort of cosmic retribution for what _he_ had done. And if he was right, he knew it wouldn't be long before the man turned on Max and blamed her too. It was a natural reaction to find some sense in the most senseless situations. But Tig was sure that Max was already blaming herself enough as it was and the last thing she needed was to hear recriminations coming from him once he got overcome with grief. He cleared his throat. "Max, we got to go doll."

Danny looked up at Tig as if noticing him for the first time, despite the fact that they had been introduced when they had entered the room earlier. He reverted his attention back to Max. "You should leave."

She nodded, standing up and deposited a kiss on the man's hairline. "I'll call tomorrow to check on you."

The man swallowed hard, but didn't respond as Tig and Max exited the room. They walked down the corridor in silence until Max felt nauseous, her knees suddenly feeling like cotton. Luckily, she spotted the bathroom and made a run for it. She slammed into the door to the woman's bathroom and barely had the time to kneel over before she hurled the contents of her stomach in the toilets. She toppled over several times until she felt a hand gently stroking her hair. "You'll be alright, doll."

She should have been mortified. Here she was on the cold floor of a hospital bathroom, puking her guts out while a man she had just met stroke her hair. It was terribly embarrassing. But she couldn't have cared less and let herself be comforted by his kind gesture. When she was confident that her knees would hold her, she rose shakily and walked to the sinks to clean up. She straightened up drying up her mouth and caught him staring at her, the concern in his eyes evident. She lost herself in his gaze for a moment before turning to face him. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek with his knuckle, the cold metal of his rings contrasting with the warmth of his skin. "Feel better?"

She simply nodded and his hand slid to her shoulder. Giving her a light squeeze, he sighted. "Let's go."

* * *

Jax snapped his phone shut and walked back to Happy.

"Speak to Gemma?"

"Yeah, she's going to gather some stuff for Max, clothing and shit." Jax rummaged through his jean pocket and took out a smoke before lighting it and taking a long drag.

"So what are you going to do about this Tig situation, Pres?

"The guy watched his kid be barbecued right in front of his eyes a few weeks ago, I'm giving him some time."

"Today was some crazy shit brother." Happy insisted.

Jax sighted loudly. He didn't need his sergeant at arms to tell him that. It had been obvious to everyone present. "I know."

"Look, you know I trust you. But Tig is a loose canon right now; you got to talk to him Jax."

Jax knew Happy was right. Tig was a ticking bomb and he was scaring the shit out of them. But Happy didn't know what had happened with Damon Pope, the number Jax had to pull on Tig to avoid being as the two men had agreed to keep it to themselves. Jax had thought that after a while TIg would just naturally get back to his old self.

Before Jax had to answer his SAA, he spotted Tig and Max come through the automated doors of the hospital and make their way towards them. Jax flicked away his cigarette and observed them walking next to each other, stealing glances, Tig's hand nonchalantly resting on the small of her back. He had hoped that helping Max who had been Dawn's friend, would help ease the guilt Tig felt about his daughter's death and help him grieve, but now he wondered if that had been the right choice. He was too well aware of the damage Tig had done in the past, starting with Donna' death, and he would hate to see another innocent person get hurt by Tig Trager. He finally turned to the man they called the killah. "I'll deal with it." he concluded before snapping on his helmet and hopping on his bike.

* * *

The sun had already set by the time they reached Charming, the gentle glow over the horizon succumbing to the darkness as Tig pulled into his driveway. As it was Friday night and the clubhouse was likely to be packed with croeaters and hang arounds, Tig had agreed with Jax and Happy that it was best that Max stay at his house for the night to get some rest and that they would reconvene the next day. The ride back had been uneventful. Tig had noticed that Max was much more relaxed, probably too numb to think about it too much. He felt for her. Seeing her crouched over the toilets, retching, trying to remember how to breathe had sent a wave of futile rage through him. He had felt compelled to_ be_ there for her, touching her soft hair letting her know he had been where she was and she would be alright. Just like he had felt compelled to stroke her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. She hopped off the bike and rubbed the small of her back. She looked in pain, physical and otherwise.

"You sore?"

" too?"

"Nah. Been riding too long, don't feel it anymore. You'll feel worse tomorrow though."

She cracked up a smile and turned to look at the house standing behind her. It was a small two storey house with a front yard that was surprisingly perfectly mowed. She noticed an old rocking chair on the porch and couldn't help but be amused at the thought of the man next to her sitting in that chair.

"Come on, let's get you inside." He said lightly brushing the small of her back with his hand. It was a natural gesture, he wasn't coming onto her, he wasn't trying to be inappropriate, but she felt her body tense just like it had when he had done it at the hospital, his touch leaving a burning sensation on her skin.

They climbed the steps to his porch and Tig unlocked the door and moved aside letting her in the house. He turned on the light and as she adjusted to the brightness, she took in her new surroundings, a feeling of surprise overwhelming her. The living room was tastefully decorated, clean and in order, something she had clearly not been expecting. As if reading through her mind, he felt obliged to explain. "I got a cleaning lady, she does a great job."

She felt a flush of color rising in her face again. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

A smile crept up his face. "Don't apologise, doll. Come on." He nodded towards the bar that separated the kitchen and the living room. "Sit." He ordered.

She watched him open a cupboard and take out two shot glasses. He put one in front of her and one in front of him before kneeling down and producing a bottle of scotch from the bar. He poured the amber liquid." Drink up." he invited before downing his own shot. He shifted his gaze to her, encouraging her and she took the shot and swallowed it at once, letting the alcohol burn her throat.

"Feeling better?"

"Not quite yet." she said holding out her shot glass to him.

He poured her another drink which she accepted staring at it for a moment, summoning the courage to ask the question that had been nagging her since he'd stopped her from going into her burning house. _If she is in there, you don't want to see it, trust me_. He had said that with the voice of a man who knew exactly what he was talking about. "Tig, can I ask you something?"

He frowned and nodded.

"Dawn didn't die in a car accident, did she?

His eyes gazed downwards for a second before meeting hers again, misery readable on his face. "Nah." He replied his voice raw with pain. For reasons he wouldn't have been able to explain, he hadn't been able to lie to her and he hadn't even wanted to.

She downed the shot in front of her as she took in the news. Then, taking the bottle from his hand she served them both again" The people responsible, are they dead?"

Tig's thoughts went back to that hot day where he had put two bullets in Damon Pope's head. "Yeah."

" Good."

She kept her eyes to her glass for a moment. Tig realised she was still in shock for the day's events. Him and his brothers were so used to violence being a constant in their lives, he had to remind himself that life wasn't all about guns, fires and violent death for most people. She finally looked up, her bright eyes meeting his once again as he stood there in mute sorrow. She stepped off the stool and walked around the bar to where he was standing before sliding her hands around his neck locking him into a hug.

It was quite surreal for Maxine to think that she was holding onto a man she hadn't even known for twenty four hours, a man twice her age who led a life she wasn't sure she could quite comprehend yet. An outlaw who was also the father of her friend. And yet, what was even more surreal was how natural it felt. At first, he had kept his hands to the side but as their hold lasted, Max had felt his hand close in a fist in her hair. She was so close she could smell the musk of his skin, the mixture of leather, sweat, and the tormenting smell of smoke. She had just wanted to share his pain, show empathy towards him for his loss, but the closeness of his warm body, the tight grip of his fingers stroking her hair were inundating her body with sensations that were completely new to her.

The three shots she had drunk in short succession were probably a big part of that, she thought although as she felt her body relax she couldn't help but wonder whether it was indeed due to the alcohol or to the fact that he was holding her. Reluctantly, she pulled away, wanting,_ needing_ to gaze into those penetrating eyes again, and looking for some guidance from him.

As she locked eyes with him, she couldn't help thinking how erotic he was. He oozed charisma and confidence from every pore. She bit her lip, unsure of her next move. But before she could make a decision, the sound of the door bell tore them away from the moment. He rested his forehead on hers, his hand still in her hair. "I should get that." He whispered before touching his lips to her skin.

When he let go of her hair, walking away from her, she let out a breath she hadn't even realised she was holding and had to grip the bar as she felt her knees going weak. She heard him opened the door and greet the visitor. "Hey Gem."

**Thanks for reading and review if you can!**


	6. Having a plan B

**I am so grateful and humbled by the reaction this story has been getting, with all the favs, follows, and reviews. **

**I want to thank you all for reading this story it really means the world to me and especially want to thank the reviewers of this story so big thank yous to Tiff, Marley, violet201, Otte1978, Redkazi, shika93, Aussie true blue, Casey-Maree, Chanel, Hncatie, MrsHappy Anarchy, LRP, the RealTayler13, Autumn, Musivluver246, shauc001, HermioneandMarcus, Calh and all the guests for their reviews! **

**Some of those reviewers have been following and reviewing my other stories as well and I'm touched to have loyal readers like you guys!**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter VI – Having a plan B is he first thing they teach you in orphan school**

"Hey Gem."

She was holding a cardboard box and held it out to him. "Hey Tiggy. Here, Jax said Max might need those."

He took the box from her and moved aside to let her into the house. "Thanks mum."

She walked in and cupped his cheek laying a kiss on him. "How is she doing?"

"She's okay. She's in the kitchen." He shrugged.

Jax had told her what happened that day and she was worried about Tig. He had always been reckless but lately he seemed to lack direction and focus. If Gemma took a wild guess, it dated back when Clay had stopped trusting him with his secrets. He had only gotten worse since Dawn and Damon Pope's death and the subsequent betrayal of Clay whom Gemma knew had been Tig's best friend for over twenty years. Gemma knew first hand what losing yourself did to men like Tig and in his line of work, that could get him killed.

Her eyes filled with concern with concern for this man she loved. "And how are you?"

He seemed almost surprised by the question. "Me? I'm good."

They both knew this wasn't even close to the truth but this wasn't the right time or place for this conversation so Gemma decided to drop it for now. "Okay."

She gazed across the living room, her eyes searching for Max and spotted her standing by the kitchen sink washing up shot glasses. She noticed the bottle of scotch resting on the bar. Tig had gotten the expensive shit out. She took a few steps towards the kitchen. "Hey sweetheart."

The girl turned and smiled heartily, her eyes not quite meeting Gemma's. "Hi Gemma."

"Heard what happened. Sorry about your friend."

Maxine nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I brought you some clothes. They're Lila's so not sure if anything will fit but thought it was worth a try. I also guessed you'd need toiletries and shit. Food too. "She turned to Tig with a knowing smile . "I didn't think Tig would have anything from this year in his fridge."

Maxine had no idea who Lila was but she was touched for the attention. "You really didn't have to go through all the trouble."

Gemma dismissed the though with her hand. "No bother, it's basics, nothing fancy."

Maxine was really impressed by the kindness this group of people had shown her all day. She had a feeling this wasn't something Gemma extended to just anyone."Thank you."

"You're welcome sweetheart." Gemma turned back to Tig "I should head back. You coming back to the clubhouse?"

"Yeah, I'm right behind ya." He confirmed with a nod.

"Alright, I'll see you there."

She flashed Maxine a last smile and let herself out of the house. He closed the door behind her and turned back to Max who had already noticed the change in his demeanor, Whatever wall he had let her see past earlier, it was back up now.

"You're not staying." she said.

It wasn't a question but he replied anyway "Nah, I should probably get back, check on things. You're going to be okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Come on. I'll show you around before I go." He led the way making sure to keep some distance with her as she followed him up the stairs. When they reached the first floor, he pointed to a door. "The bathroom is this way, towels are in the cupboard."

They continued down the corridor and he opened the door to the bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it was pretty neutral and tasteful. There was nothing personal, nothing to give you any insight in its occupant, no pictures, no art wall. The only concession he seemed to have made was black silk sheets that made her smile for some reason. "This is the bedroom. You can take the bed, the sheets are clean."

"Tig, I already feel like I'm imposing, I can take the couch, really."

He shook his head, objecting "Not in this house, you can't. I'll probably stay at the clubhouse anyway so don't worry alright?" He changed the subject abruptly. "You're hungry? Knowing Gem, there's probably food for a whole week in that box."

Food was the last thing on her mind at that moment. "I'm okay thanks. I just want to take a shower and crash."

"Alright, well anything you need. I'll check on you tomorrow morning kid."

She almost winced at the word. He was clearly distancing himself from what had happened in the kitchen whatever it is, it still made her feel patronized. She hid it though. "Thanks, Tig."

"You're welcome sweetheart. I'll see you later."

He walked out and she let out a sigh. She knew he was uncomfortable at best and he couldn't have gotten out of there too fast. She felt stupid and embarrassed for almost throwing herself at him like that and was now relieved for Gemma's interruption. She would have been mortified if he had rejected her when she kissed him. She could only blame the three shots she downed for her behavior and knew she would have to be careful in the future. She wasn't a lightweight per se but it was probably wise to keep her mind clear around this man.

She suddenly felt very tired and decided to take a shower before she was too exhausted to bother. She went downstairs and checked the box that Gemma had brought. She was very grateful to find shower gel, shampoo and a toothbrush. She looked through the clothing which was…um…not exactly her style to say the least. Skinny jeans she was pretty sure she couldn't get into in a million years. Cropped up tee shirts that would show way too much skin. In the end, she went back upstairs and after a slight hesitation, she opened his wardrobe, feeling slightly like an intruder. But he had said _anything you need_ after all so she picked a black cotton shirt that didn't seem too new and headed to the bathroom.

She took off her clothes realizing she too smelled smoky as hell and rummaged through the cupboard for towels. She walked into the shower, turning on the water, letting the hot stream batter her body. She washed thoroughly and shampooed her hair twice hoping to get rid of the unpleasant odor of the day before walking out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. She brushed her teeth and put on Tig's shirt over her naked body. She noticed it smelt really nice and realised she kept being surprised by those little things. Clean house, clean bedroom, nice smelling shirt. It just didn't quite fit with the image she had of bikers. It certainly didn't fit the image she had of him. She picked up her clothes and made her way downstairs. It felt kind of weird walking around a strange man's house wearing his shirt with no underwear on but she didn't exactly have much choice right now.

Once she found the washing machine, she threw her clothes in and turned it on. Bringing her clothes had been such a good intention from Gemma, but Max knew would never be able to wear anything that showed that much skin. It wasn't because of any body image issues. She was more than happy with her body and the way it looked. But there were always questions when people found out what she hid under her clothing. Questions and pity and she didn't like either. So she covered up. She was so used to it by now that it was like a second nature.

She looked around for some tea not finding any and rummaged again in Gemma's box to find a box green tea. That woman really anticipated every single one of her needs. Well, expect for she seemed to pass for clothing around here. She put some water to boil and let her thoughts get back to the event of the day.

She'd left the house this morning thinking she'd get some help from Dawn's father, maybe scare off those peckerwood into leaving them alone and be back in time for diner with her friend. Instead, she learned that one friend had been murdered, her house was burned to the ground with another friend in it, and her life was suddenly turned upside down. Not to mention the fact that she was now half naked in the house of a man twice her age that she had almost thrown herself to an hour ago. As illegal as it was, her life was very structured and quiet life away from any trouble. It had been like that since the day she finally emancipated from the state. After spending sixteen years relying on unreliable people, Maxine had needed the structure and made sure she only surrounded herself with people she trusted a hundred percent. In less than twenty four hours, it felt that this life she had so artfully piece together seemed to have spiraled out of control and it had to stop.

She knew should be crying, she should be grieving, she should be scared but yet she couldn't seem to do any of it. Instead, she was just pissed off. Those rednecks assholes had beaten up Danny, killed his Jaycee, ruined the business she'd spent years building. All she could think about was that she wanted them to pay hell for all of it.

* * *

What the hell was wrong with him? If Gemma hadn't interrupted, Tig was sure he would have kissed her, and knowing him it probably wouldn't have stopped there. She was his daughter's best friend for god's sake. The girl had come to him for help and he had been about to take advantage of that. Shit, Jax was right about him. He was hot headed and he didn't think before acting. And that got him in trouble. Every fucking time. The worst in all of this was that she wasn't even his type! He liked Latinas. Brown hair, olive skin, curves in all the right places. The less clothes they had on, the better. Max was anything but what he usually went for. Sure, she was pretty with that innocent face full of freckles and yes there was something uncanny about those bright sparkling but she wasn't what he called sexy. If he had to chose was one word to describe her it would most definitely not be hot, so why couldn't he stop thinking about her in his bed? What the hell was wrong with him?

He pulled into Teller Morrow and parked his bike in its usual spot, the question still resonating through him as he made his way towards the clubhouse. Friday nights weren't what they used to be. It hadn't been a drastic change more of a subtle one that had taken place along the years as they dealt with more and more shit in their crazy lives, but the huge drunken fests they used to throw had slowly dulled down and the place had become a lot quieter.. Sure they were still croweaters and hangarounds galore roaming the place, drinking, smoking and generally having all sorts of R rated fun. But with a club that had lost nearly half its members in the last few years, with all the shit they had to go through recently, Friday nights definitely had a different feel.

"How's the girl?"

Tig's turned to see Jax sitting on a picnic table drawing on a cigarette, a beer in his hand. He was surprised to see the president still here at this hour; he usually went home to spent time with his old lady and kids.

Tig gently slapped the butt of a croweater standing by having a conversation. "Be a doll and get me a beer sweetheart."

"Sure thing Tig."

He took out a cigarette, sticking it between his teeth and lit it. "She's dealing. Guess the shock hasn't worn off yet."

"I bet."

Tig hesitated for a second and then continued. "She…She knows about Dawn. Not the details just that it wasn't an accident."

The crow eater returned with a beer in her hand, swaying her hips way more than necessary. She was about to take a seat next to Tig but Jax stopped her with a look. "Give us a minute, doll."

She nodded and moved away. When she was out of earshot, Jax turned back to Tig and continued. "What happened this afternoon Bro, it was messed up."

Tig looked at him dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you heading into a fucking burning house, Tig." He paused, trying to think of what the right words were. Happy was right. Tig was out of control and Jax needed to reach him somehow. "Look, I get it brother, watching Dawn die like that, and all the shit that came after that, it's been hell but you got to get your shit together man. You're starting to scare the shit out of me."

Tig didn't understand what the big deal was. They all did dangerous things on a daily basis, Jax included and he couldn't believe he was getting his balls busted about it. "Jax, man, I'm fine. I went into the house to check on Max's friend. It's not like anything happened."."

"You're not fine, Tig! "What if it did happen? What if the house had collapsed on you? What do you think would have happened if the body of a Son was found in the middle of an illegal weed farm?

Jax took a pause, letting out a deep breath as Tig ran a hand through his hair, pissed off with the turn this conversation seemed to be taking. What did he want from him? He had done everything he had been asked to do, He was passed over as SAA. Twice. And he had yet to bitch about it. He even betrayed his oldest friend for this club. What more did he want from him? "So what are you saying Jax? You're going to take my patch? Is that it? After everything I've done for this club? For you?"

"I'm saying you need to get your shit together. Your brothers? They need to be able to trust you, and right now? They don't. So pull it together or I _will _strip that reaper patch." He threw his cigarette and stood up. "Bring Max over tomorrow morning. Nine sharp. We need to figure what's the next move." He ordered and left without another word.

Tig was seething. And it wasn't just because his president had just threatened to strip his patch despite all the sacrifices he'd made for his club. It was because Jax's words kept ringing in his ears_. They need to be able to trust you, and right now? They don't. _Was that true? Did he really lose the trust of his brothers? With the shit they had to deal with on a daily basis, he needed his brothers to have his back and he needed them to know he had theirs. That was the only way things worked. Without trust, they weren't brothers, they weren't family. It all went to shit. He needed to be sure he still had the trust of the brothers who were still sitting around that table. Jax was right. He had to pull it together and fast. He just had no idea where to start.

He watched the crow eater make her way to him, swaying her hips suggestively, a sly smile on her face and longed for the times where all he needed to be happy was clear orders, a drink in his hand and a girl in the other. But time had changed. Now he had no idea what was expected of him anymore the alcohol never seemed to be enough to dull the dark thoughts in his mind and despite the prime choice of pussy around the place, he kept picturing a certain red head between his sheets, the one luxury he couldn't do without. At the bare thought of her, he felt a tingle in his pants.

"Hey handsome. Want some company?"

Yes, he needed to pull it together and he figured now was a good time as any to start. He flashed the girl a smile and held out his hand to her. "Reading in my mind doll. Let's get out of here."

* * *

The next day, he opened his eyes with difficulty and it took one second for him to realise where he was and why. He reached for his phone on the coffee table and checked the time. Jax would be waiting for them at the clubhouse, he needed to wake Maxine up and get going. He stretched and got off the couch.

After his conversation with Jax, he hadn't felt like mingling in the clubhouse. He'd just wanted a good fuck and a good night's sleep. So he had followed the croweater back to her place and gotten busy with her. But once they were done, he'd sat at the edge of her bed not feeling the usual satisfaction he felt after fucking a tight pussy. And she had been real tight which was pretty uncommon amongst crow eaters. Instead of enjoying the release, Tig has just felt very tired and weary, questioning for the first time in two decades the kind of life he was leading.

He had shaken it off and without even saying goodbye to the girl, he had taken off and gone for a long ride. He had needed to clear his head and it had been a long time since he'd ridden alone, no destination, no objectives. The day had been coming up by the time he had made it home, taking out some covers and settling on the couch.

He made his way to the kitchen and after preparing it, he turned on the coffee machine.

A few minutes later, he was enjoying a cup when he heard footsteps coming his way. Without turning around, he greeted her. ""Morning Sweetheart."

When he finally faced her, it took every once of strength he had for Tig not to walk to her and take her right there on the kitchen island. Shit, was she trying to kill him? She was wearing one of his shirts_, his shirt_, and he was forced to revise his previous statement. She definitely_ was_ hot. Couldn't dress for shit but there was no doubt that she was sexy as hell dressed like that, with her tousled hair and beautiful face. He realised his staring was making her blush, her chest and neck reddening and she suddenly became even sexier if that was even possible.

She fidgeted and pulled on the hem of the shirt as if she could suddenly make it longer just by sheer will. She cleared her throat, speaking with an unsteady voice. "Sorry, I thought you'd still be at the clubhouse.

"I ended up sleeping here in the end." A small smile crept up on his face as he asked "Is that my shirt?"

Her cheeks went from pink to bright red with a single question. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I was just trying to find something comfortable to sleep in."

He laughed deciding he needed to let her off the hook before she burst in flame "It's no problem, doll. You should keep it. It suits you better." It definitely did. He was glad she was standing on the other side of the island and couldn't see the massive hard on she was responsible for. He nodded to the coffee machine. "There's coffee, if you want some." he pointed.

"No, thanks, I should probably head to the shower. I just wanted to pick up my clothes from the dryer."

"Go for it." He turned around pretending to busy himself with the fridge so he could hide his erection from her as she opened the dryer and took out her clothes before hurrying out the door.

He had really thought that screwing the brains out of the croweater the night before would have helped forget about the red head and those freckles and this habit she had of blushing to things he said but from the pain he currently felt in his cock, he knew that wasn't the case.

Maybe he should just fuck her and be done with it? Why was he having so many scruples all of a sudden? He was pretty sure she was as attracted to him as he was to her judging by the effect he seemed to be having on her with the blushing, and the way she avoided eye contact with him and if both of them were consenting, where was the harm? However he kept hearing the little voice in his head telling him he shouldn't be lusting after his daughter's friend like that, and as much as he hated that voice, he couldn't ignore it. Guess he would have to have a cold shower then!

* * *

Maxine walked into the clubhouse and felt overwhelmed by the stench that hit her nostrils straight away. It was a mixture of stale, beer, cigarette smoke and….well sex that seemed to linger in the air despite the fact that scantily dressed women were currently cleaning the place.

She felt a hand on the small of her back push her lightly and couldn't help but react to his touch. This really was becoming a habit and she chastised herself for acting like a school girl around this guy. _Get a hold of yourself, damn it!_

"Come on, Jax is waiting." Tig said softly in her ear.

They made their way inside the clubhouse and spotted Jax sitting at a table sipping coffee as Bobby brought in a freshly baked muffin platter. He held it out for her to take one but she caught a familiar whiff and smiled. "is that what I think?"

The man grinned. "You bet it is sweetheart."

She let out a small laugh. "Thanks. I'm good."

He left to continue his round as Tig and Max took a seat at Jax's table. Chibs, Happy and Juice were by the bar and turned around to listen in as Max realised the women who had been here seconds ago has suddenly vanished as if they'd disappeared into thin air.

"How are you feeling?"

"Still processing everything that happened I guess."

The president nodded "It was pretty messed up. You know that place is done right? By now the cops are all over it. They'll find the body. They probably won't be able to identify her. But if they do, should we be worried about her boyfriend?"

"No, Danny knows the drill."

"Girlfriend dying, changes things." he stated

She shook her head, disagreeing. "Not for him. I don't even think anyone knew about them anyway. We're a pretty close knit. She needed to be able to flirt her way to new clients and he is a botanist. Spent most of his days at the farm. They wouldn't be able to get back to him."

"What about the land? Can it be traced to any of you?"

"No. The lease was purchased by a consortium of shadow companies based in Luxembourg and the British Isles. It would take the cops months to go through all the red tape and paperwork to get a name and that would only lead them to Mr Simon Orwell. My ethics professor in college. He was a dick." She added as an explanation.

She looked around, taking in the dumbfounded looks on their face as Bobby whistled. "Beauty and brains. I like her more and more." He said addressing Tig and Max couldn't help but notice with a smile that Tig was glaring at Bobby.

She reverted her attention back to Jax. "I want those guys to pay for what they did to my friends, Jax. I'll pay whatever you guys ask. "

He was amused by the resolution in her voice. And slightly impressed too. For someone who had watched her whole world burst in flame the day before, she held her own quite well. "We watched your business gon up in flames yesterday. How exactly are you going to do that?" he teased.

They saw a knowing smile creep up her face. "I was a foster kid, Jax. Having a plan B is the first thing they teach you in orphan school."

**So sorry about the late update on this story, I might have tried to swallow more than I can chew as I'm currently on three stories at the same time ( not counting the ones I'm progressing on the side!) and I think I'm developing a multiple personality disorder! But to make up for the long wait, I made this chapter longer!"**

**Also, English is not my first or even second language so I do have to work quite hard to ensure the writing actually makes sense, gotta love thesaurus!**

**But enough said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and hope to read your thoughts soon!**


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